Article-charging machine



Oct. 12, 1943. I

6 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. HAIG ARTICLE-CHARGING MACHINE Filed March 15 19417&507': QQ- I Oct. 12, 1943. P. HAIG I I ARTICLE-CHARGING MACHINE FiledMarh 15, 1941 e Sheet-Sheet 2 Jfdemiof: I V N (fazzz flm amw.

Oct. 12, 1943. P. HAIG v ARTICLE-CHARGING MACHINE Filed March 15,' 1941e Sheets-Sheet 4 m2 Hazg- 2011a, 70W 3 P. HAIG ARTICLE-CHARGING MACHINEOct. 12, 1943,.

Patented a.. 12 i943 ARTICLE-CHARGING MACHINE Paul Haig,Chicago, 111.,assignor to Inland Steel Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation ofDelaware ' Application March 15, 1941, Serial No. 383,624 I I Claims.(01. 80-43) I My invention relates generally to machines for threadingor charging article v to apparatus on which work is to be performed, asfor example sheet or strip material particularly of metal such as steel,into continuously operating rolling apparatus such as a so-called coldmill to which the sheet or strip metal, wound in a coil, is fed forreducing it to a desired gauge.

My object generally stated, are to provide a machine for the purposestated whereby danger to the workmen in the threading or chargingoperation is reduced to the minimum; to provide a comparatively simpleand positively operating machine for this purpose; to insure the properguiding of the article to the apparatus by which work is to be performedon the article; to avoid delay in the charging of the articles to theapparatus; and other objects as will be manifest from the followingdescription.

It may be stated as a preface to a description of. my machine that thework of-charging or threading the tail end of a coil of sheet or stripmetal into a cold mill as commonly provided, i quite dangerous to theworkmen, as the sheet or strip is apt to be more or less violentlythrust laterally in one direction or the other by the action of therolls of the cold mill upon its initial entry between them, with suchforce as to injure the workmen handling the sheetor strip; my machine,which was devised for use more particularly, in connection with coldmills, though not to the exclusion of. its use in any other situation inwhich it would have utility, serving to avoiding danger to the workmen;insuring the f proper guiding of the sheet or strip to the cold mill;and avoiding delay in the operation of rolling successive lengths ofsheets or strip.

7 Referring to the accompanyingidrawings:

Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation of the ing or chargingmechanism, involving my invention, associated with a cold mill, themechanism being shown in normal position with the viewed from the righthand side of these figures.

Figure 4 i an enlarged view like Fig. 1 ofthe coil-threading or chargingmechanism with certain parts broken away, this viewv showing thepositions assumed by the parts of the mechanism immediately following.the entry of the tail end of the coil between, and into grippedcondition with, the rolls of-the cold mill at-the entering end.

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of a weighted lever device forminga part of means-for controlling the supporting and releasing. of thetailends of the coils to be threaded or charged into the cold mill.

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of one of two similar'weightedlever devices also forming parts of the means referred to in the abovedescription of Fig. 5.

of the'arrows. Figure 10 is a section taken at the irregular enteringend of a cold mill, showing coil-thread:

tail end of a coil positioned therein ready to be advanced to the coldmill, the section being taken at the irregular line l--l on Fig. 2 andviewed Figure 7 is a sectional view'taken at the irregular line l'! onFig. 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary 'view in elevation,

of means forming a part of the threading o'rcharging mechanism forgripping the tail end of the coil.

Figure 9 is a section-taken at the irregular line 99. on Fig. 8 andviewed in the direction line Ill-l0 on Fig. 4 and viewed in thedirection of the arrows; and I Figure 11, a fragmentary sectional viewof means for adjusting the sheet orstrip supporting members of thethreading or charging mechanism for use with coil of different widthsand into difierent positions in front of the cold mill.

As a preface to a detailed description of the illustrated embodiment ofmy invention, it may be stated that the machine shown comprisesgenerally stated, a carrier l2 mounted at the entering end of a coldmill formovement toward and away from the mill and provided with membersl3 for releasably supporting the tail end of the sheet-metal coil to bethreaded into the cold mill, at the opposite longitudinal sideedge-portions of the coil, the carrier 12 feeding the tail end of thecoil to the cold mill; means for actuating the supporting members I3 torelease the tail end of the coil; and means for restoring the sup- 1porting members iii to a position for supporting the tail end ofthe'next coil to be threaded into the cold mill.

In the construction shown, the roll stand at the entering end of a coldmill, and shown of the four-high roll type, is represented at I4, the

mill being shown as provided, in accordance with common practice, withwiper or tensioning means l5 for engaging the tail end of the coil ofsheet or strip metal, to be threaded, or charged, into the cold millbetween its rolls Ma. The wiper means shown and of a well knownconstruction comprises a stationary guide l6 extending lengthwise, andin front of, the roll stand H and across the full width of the sheet orstrip to be threaded or charged into the cold mill; at bar locateddirectly above, and parallel with, the guide H: and of the same lengthasthis guide, and means for moving the bar I! toward and away from theguide l8 to exert the desired degree of clamping pressure against thesheet or strip positioned between the guide l6 and bar to produce thedesired tension on the sheet or strip, or to relatively separate theseparts to permit of the insertion of the strip or sheet to position inthe wiper mechanism; the upper face of the guide I5 and the undersurface of the bar being surfaced with any suitable material, as

represented at l8 and I9, respectively, as for example wood. The bar I1is supported by links pivoted at their lower ends to the ends of the barl1 and at their upper ends to brackets secured to the inner sides of theframe 20 of the roll stand |4, one of the links and brackets being shownat 22 and 23, respectively, and the pivotal connections of this link at24 and 25; the support for the bar I! also comprising a link 25 locatedmidway between the ends of the bar I! and pivoted on a rod 21 connectingthe brackets 23 together, the link 26 being pivoted at 28 to an arm 29on the bar II. The link 26 is pivotally connected at 39 with the lowerend of the piston-stem 3| of a fluid pressure operated piston andcylinder mechanism 32 having any suitable means for controlling theforcing of its piston in either direction as desired in accordance withcommon practice, for moving the bar |1 into and out of operativeposition.- The mechanism 32 is pivotally connected at the upper end ofits cylinder 33 as indicated at 34 to a plate 35 mounted on a rod 36supported on the frame The carrier I2 is mounted on a supporting frame31 rigidly secured to the frame 20 of the roll stand I4, the frame 31comprising a pair of upper and lower horizontal parallel angle irons 38and 39, respectively, extending crosswise of the machine and connectedtogether by parallel vertical plates 40 extending crosswise of, andbelow, the angle-irons 3B and 39; a horizontal plate 4| below theangle-iron 39 between the lower ends of the plates 40; spaced apartparallel angle-irons 42 extending lengthwise of the machine and locatedat the-underside of the plate 4| between the lower ends of the plates 40(Fig. the plates 40 and 4| and the angle-- irons 38, 39 and 42 beingrigidly secured together with bracing angle-irons 43 and 44 secured tothe plate 4|; plates 45 and 46 extending crosswise of the angle-irons 42and rigidly secured thereto at the forward end of the supporting frameand adjacent its rear end, vre-- spectively, and parallel guide rods 41extending lengthwise of the machine and rigidly connected at their endswith the plates 45 and 46.

The frame 31 is shown as supported on the frame of the cold mill at itsentering end by vertical pins 48 extending through the ends of the angleirons 38 and 39 and through angle clips 49 secured to thecold-mill frame20. Preferably at least one of the pins 48 is removable to adapt thesupporting frame 3! to be swung, if desired, horizontally to one side ofthe cold mill.

The carrier l2 comprises an inverted channel member having a top plateportion 50 and depending side plate portions 5|, and parallel sleeve 52rigidly secured to the top of the plate 50 and surrounding, and slidablealong, the guide rods 41. The sleeves 52 are connected together at theirforward ends by a plate 53 to which means for reciprocating the carrierl2 are connected, these means being shown as in the form of afluid-pressure-operated piston and cylinder mechanism carried by thesupporting frame 31, the cylinder of this mechanism and represented at54 being secured to the supporting frame 31 by the cylinder ends 55 and55, and the piston stem thereof, which is connected with the plate 53,being represented at 51. Valve means for controlling the admission tothe ends of the cylinder 54, alternately, of actuating fluid pressuresupplied from any suitable source through a pipe 58, and for venting thecylinder of spent fluid pressure, are represented diagrammatically at59. The valve means shown are of the well known two-way-valve type withpipeconnections 60 and GI to the opposite ends of the cylinder 54 andpipe connection 62 to exhaust.

The members I3 for releasably supporting the sheet or strip to bedelivered to the cold mill and which extend lengthwise of the machineare pivotally supported at their upper portions as indicated at 63, toswing at their lower edge portions, provided with inwardly directedflanges 64 upon which the sheet or strip is supported, in a directioncrosswise of the machine into and out of the full line and dotted linepositions shown in Fig. 10.

The pivots 53 on which the members l3 swing are shown as provided onheads 65 slidable crosswise of the machine on a pair of parallel rods 68and on an intermediate square shaft 61, mounted in the side plates 5| ofthe carrier I2, the shaft 61 being -journaled in these plates.

The pivotal connections 63 of the members |3 with the heads 65, areprovided between upwardly extending ears 68 on the members l3 anddepending ears 69 on the heads; and the portions of the heads throughwhich the square shaft 61 extends are formed of pairs of upwardlyextending apertured ears 10, containing bushings rotatable therein andhaving square openings to receive the shaft 61.

The heads 65 are slidable on the rods 66 and the shaft 61 to permit thesheet or strip supportin members l3 to be adjusted for sheets or stripsof different widths and into any desired position in front of the rollsof the cold mill; such adjustment being effected by means of a pair ofscrews 12, having hand wheels 13 rigid therewith, joumaled in the sideplates 5|, but held against longitudinal movement by collars 14 on thesescrews, and having threaded engagement with square nuts 15 heldstationary by the heads 65 and confined between depending pairs of ears16 on these heads.

The means controlling the position of the sheet or strip supportingmembers l3 comprise arms H on the square shaft 61 between the ears 10 ofeach pair thereof and rotatable with this shaft, the outer ends of thearms 11 being loosely pivotally connected at 18 with the upper ends oflinks 19 loosely pivotally connected at their lower ends, as indicatedat 80, to the supporting members I3 at spaced apart ears 8| thereon.Thus rocking position shown in Fig. 1 in which movement thislever hasengaged the stop 86 on lever 8nd, rocked the shaftfi'l counterclockwise,in which} operation the sheet or strip supportin me'mbers I3 have beenmoved to sheet or trip supporting,

83 is provided with stops 86'and '81 at opposite sides of the shaft 67,the stop 86 being'shownas in the form of a screw, thus rendering itadjustable. A stop 88 on one of the side plates 5| of the carrier I2serves, in conjunction with the lea ver 83, to 1imit clockwise turningof the shaft 61 in Fig. 5 in which turning movement the sheet or stripsupporting members I 3 are swung outwardly to sheet or strip releasingposition as shown inv full lines in Fig. 10.

Cooperating with the lever 83 is what may b i termed a flying weightshown as in the form of a lever 89 rotatable on the shaft 51 and havinga weight 90 at its outer end. The lever 89'which.

cooperates with the stops 86 and 8'! alternately, is provided with anupwardly inclined arm 9|. adapted in the reciprocations of the carrierI2 to alternately engage stops 92 and 93 on the stationary supportingframe 31 for throwing the lever 89 first in one direction and then inthe other to oscillate the square shaft 61 by alternately engaging thestops 81 and 86 on the lever 83 and thus swing the sheet or stripsupporting members I3 out of sheet or strip supporting position in themovement of the carrier I2 toward the cold mill, and into suchsupporting position in the movement of the carrier away from the coldmill.

Fig. 1 illustrates the mill inthe process of rolling a sheet or stripfrom a coil X, shown in dotted lines, the greater portion of which hasalready passed through the mill, and shows-the next succeeding coil Yfrom which the leading end of the sheet or strip, is to be threaded orat 91, and extending thr'oughfthe opening in the coil X. The succeedingcoil Y'is rolled up to a stop shoulder 98 which prevents this coil fromrubbing against the coil ahead of it, but over which stop shoulderthe'coil rides when pull is exerted on the sheet or, strip of this coil,by the cold mill, the dottedrepresentation Z of a coil in Fig. 1representing econ which has been pulled over the stop shoulder 98 tothe-rollers 94 by the action of the cold mill. a

The leading end of the sheet or strip of the succeeding coil Y,while-the one ahead of it is being passed through the cold mill, ispartially unwound from the coil as shown and introduced into the carrierI2 to rest at its lateral edgeson the supporting member's I3 positionedas shown by dotted lines in Fig-lopand extend at its terminal edge closeto the wiper'device I5 (Fig. 1). In this position of th'e'pa'rts of themechanism the carrier I2 is in its rearwardmost position in which theengagement of the arm 9| of the lever 89 with the stop 93 has rocked thelever 89 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position;

As soon as the inner bar; and also conditions the valve 59 to admitoperating fiuidpressure to the rear end of the cylinder 54 and open itsforward .end to exhaust, whereupon the carrier I2 moves forwardly towardthe cold mill, carrying the leading end of the sheet orstrip through thewiper device and into the nipof the rolls I4a of the roll stand 20whereupon theoperatorilowers thebar I! to operative position. a 3 r 3Immediately before the carrier I2 reaches its forwardmost position therolls I Ia of the roll stand I4 grip the leading end of the sheet orstrip and pull it into the mill, the arm 9| of the the sheet or stripsupporting members I3 out of,

supporting position, whereupon the sheet or strip drops from the carrierI2 intoitsnatural curve belowjthe members I3 and the sheet or strip" isunwound from the coil as the cold mill continues to operate; the coil Y,under the pull of the cold mill, riding over the stop shoulder 98 andupon 7 therollers 94 in which position the coil-restraining rod 96 isapplied to position. r

During such unwinding of the coil Y the operator restores the threadingor charging mechanism to normal position (Fig. 1) and positions in thismechanism the leading end of the next coil to be operated onby the coldmill. v The threading or charging mechanism is restored to normalposition by the operatonmanipulating the valve 59 to admit operatingfluid pressure to the forward end of the cylinder 54 and open itsrear'end to exhaust. Insuch movement of the carrier I2 the arm 9I onthelever 89 strikes the stop 93thus. throwing the lever 89 against thestop 88 on the leverv83 which swings means shown for this purposecomprise dogs I00 pivoted at IN to clips I02 secured to the sides of thesheet or strip supporting members I3 and normallyspring pressed toclamp. the sheet. or strip'to these members and drag it forwardly in theforward movement of the carrier.

. The spring means shown for this purpose comprise, for each dog I00, arod I03 pivoted at I04 to an ear I05 on the dog I 00 .and slidable in. a

lug I06 on the adjacent supporting member I3 and a coil spring I01surrounding .the rod I03 and confined between the lug I06 and a stop I08on the rod; and tending to rock the dog I00 down wardly. The lower endsof the dogs I00are serratedas indicated at I09 of the dog shown in,

Figs. '7 and 8 and the-sheet or strip is clamped against inclinedguidesJ I0 which, with reversely inclined guides III on the supportingmembers ortrailing endof the coil X has passed beyond the roll-stand I4the operator-actuates'the mechanism 32 to lift the wiper l3, formthroats to receive the edges of the sheet or strip, the dogs I beingpreferably set in from the longitudinal edges of the sheet or strip, asshown of the one dog in Fig. 9, to avoid clamping the sheet or strip atits edges which sometimes are rough and if so prevent the proper grip onthe sheet or strip.

As will be understood, the pull exerted by the rolls of the mill, on thesheetor strip automatically releases the grip of the dogs I00 on thesheet or strip and thus the dogs do not interfere with the swinging ofthe supporting members [3 out of supporting position in the forwardmovement of the carrier l2.

While I have illustarted and described a particular constructionembodying my invention I do not wish to be understood as intending tolimit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered andthe invention embodied in other forms of structure without departingfrom the spirit of my invention, it being my intention to claim myinvention as fully and completely as the prior state of the art willpermit; and inlthis connection, it may be stated that while I haveillustrated and described my invention as applied to the threading orcharging of sheet or strip coiled material to a cold mill, I do not wishto be understood as intending to limit it thereto as it is my intentionto cover the invention for any and all uses to which it may be'put.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is:

1. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a movable carrierhaving means for supporting an article to be fed, said means comprisingmovably supported article-supporting mem bers adapted to move crosswiseof the machine in the direction of the width of the article into and outof article-supporting position, a shaft journaled on said carrier,connections between said members and shaft for actuating said membersupon rotating said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft comprisingstops relative to which said carrier moves and a member movable on saidcarrier and cooperating with said stops and operating, when said carrier'is moved in one direction to engage one of said stops and rotate saidshaft in one direction andwhen said carrier is moved in the otherdirection to engagethe other of said stops and rotate said shaft in theopposite direction.

2; A machine of the charatcer set forth, com

prising a movable carrier having means for supporting an article to befed, said means comprising movably supported article-supporting mcmbersadapted tomove crosswise of the machine in the direction of the width ofthe article into and out of article-supporting position, a shaftJournaled on said carrier, connections between said members and shaftfor actuating said members'upon rotating said shaft, and means forrotating said shaft comprising stops relative to which said carriermoves and a lever movable on said carrier to opposite sides of avertical position and cooperating with said stops andoperating uponengaging one of said stops to swing in one direction beyond verticalposition and rotate said shaft in one direction and upon engaging theother of said stops to swing in the opposite direction beyond verticalposition anr rotate said shaft in the other direction.

3. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a movable carrierhaving means for supporting an article to be fed, said means comprisingmovably supported article-supporting members adapted to move crosswiseof the machine in the direction of the width of the article into and outof article-supporting position, a shaft journaled on said carrier,connections between said members and shaft for actuating said membersupon rotating said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft comprising astop relative to which said carrier moves, a lever rotatable with saidshaft and having a stop, and a member movable on saidcarrier andcooperating with said stops and operating upon engaging said first-namedstop to engage said secondnamed stop and swing said lever for rotatingsaid shaft.

4. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a movable carrierhaving means for supporting an article to be fed, said means comprisingmovably supported article-supporting members adapted to move crosswiseof the machine in the direction of the width of the article into and outof article-supporting position, a shaft journaled on said carrier,connections between said members and shaft for actuating said membersupon rotating said shaft, and means for rotating first and second-namedstopsQsaid member in' the movement of said carrier in one directionengaging one of said first-named stops and operating toengage one ofsaid second-named stops and move said lever in a direction for actuatingsaid shaft in one direction, and in the movement of said carrier in theother direction engaging the other of said first-named stops andoperating to engage the other of said second-named stops and move saidlever in a direction for rotating said shaft in the other direction.

5. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a movable carrier,means thereon for supporting an article to be fed at its oppositelateral edges, said means being movable crosswise of said carrier in thedirection of the width of the article into and out of article-supportingposition, and means carried by said first-named means operating in thefeeding movement of said carrier to feed the article therewith,releasable, upon the exertion of force against the article, independentof thatexerted by said carrier, in the direction of the feedingmovement.

6. Apparatus for feeding successive articles to rolls comprising, amovable carrier; means on said carrier for supporting an end of anarticle in a position vertically spaced from the previously fed articlewith said end adjacent the rolls ready for introduction to the rollswhen the previously fed article has passed through the same; means tomove the carrier to feed said end to the rolls; and means toautomatically release the supporting means from the article when thearticle is moved by the rolls.

7. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a movable carrier, astationary support therefor, means on said carrier for supporting anarticle to be fed in a feeding position vertically spaced from apreviously fed article while the latter is being worked, said last namedmeans operable for movement out of article supporting position, meansoperating upon movement of said carrier on its feed stroke to apredetermined position, to actuate said first named means to release thearticle, and means comprising a stationary abutment upon thecarrier-supporting-means and means moving with the carrier crosswise ofsaid carrier in 2,331,892 and movable thereon contacting with saidabutment operating upon movement of the carrier on its return stroke toreturn the first named means to article supporting position.

8. In amachine of the character described, a movable carrier, threadedshafts mounted on said carrier, pivot blocks havingrespective'screwthreaded engagement with said shaftsyarticlesupportingmeans pivotally supported by said blocks for swinging movement in thedirection of the width of the supported article, into and outofsupporting position, a non-cylindrical shaft mounted in the. carrierparallel with said threaded shafts, actuating blocks slidably mounted onsaid non-cylindrical shaft to be oscillated thereby, connections betweensaid actuating blocks and the respective article supporting means tocause swing of the latter when the actuating blocks are oscillated,means to cause partial rotation of said. non-cylindrical shaft to movesaid supporting means between article supporting and releasingpositions, and means to cause rotation of said threaded shafts to movesaid threaded and actuating blocks whereby to adjust the spacing of saidsupporting means for articles of different widths.

9. A machine ofthe character set forth comprising a movable carrier,means thereon for supporting an article to be fed, said means having asupporting surface and being movable the direction of the width of thearticle into and out of article supporting position, and means forfeeding the article by movement of said carriage comprising a clampmember for clamping the article against said supporting surface, saidclamp member mounted on said first named means and movable relative tothe latter and mount of said member whereby contact of an article to befed with said member moves the latter away from said supporting surfaceto allow free movement of the article in a feeding direction relative tosaid last named means while preventing retrograde relative movement be-'tween the article and said last named means.

10. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a movable carrier,means thereon for supporting an article to be fed, said means having asupporting surface and being movable crosswise of said carrier in thedirection of the width of the article into and out of article sup- 4porting position, a clamp pivoted on said support upon an axis spacedfrom said surface a distance less than the extension of said clamptoward said surface, and means to urge said clamp toward said surfaceabout its pivot, said clamp and said surface lying at an angle less thanwith the apex of the angle'facing in the direction of feed of thearticle, whereby an article placed on the support and moved forwardly onsaid surface will be automatically clamped against retrograde movementand released from.

action of the clamp when force against the article is exertedindependent of that exerted by said carrier in a direction of feed.

' PAUL HAIG.

means involving the

